France's Power Prices Jump 22% as Heatwave Trims Nuclear Output

France’s heatwave curbed nuclear output in Europe’s biggest nuclear supplier, pushing day-ahead power prices up as much as 21.8% to about $164.39 per megawatt-hour on Tuesday. EDF data indicated nuclear generation would be cut by 7.3 gigawatts on Wednesday—roughly 12% of capacity—as river water used for cooling proved too warm and/or low. With nuclear supplying about 70% of France’s electricity mix, demand during the heatwave added further upward pressure on prices.